CBS Refuses Commercial Containing Pledge Of Allegiance

What defines politics? More specifically, what defines what is, and is not “political?” Some things are inherently political, in that they relate directly to politics. Platforms, and issues that are regulated necessarily by law, and issues that affect our lives in a corporate sense are, by nature, political. But what about everything else? What is up for grabs? What have we unnecessarily made political? Some things have been painted with a coat of politics when they shouldn’t have any political nature at all, and things which should unite us have become wedge issues to be used as partisan tools.

According to BizPac Review:

“CBS Sports has announced it won’t air a controversial 30-second commercial because it took on a “political nature” for featuring a young girl reciting the Pledge of Allegiance…Praino told the Herald he has tried unsuccessfully to get further clarification from CBS Sports.“

Obviously, the pledge of allegiance is political, being that it is a symbol representing our national identity. It’s something recited daily in the classrooms of many, if not all, elementary schools across the country. No one who considers themselves American should be offended by the pledge of allegiance. It’s not something divisive. By its very nature, it is a unifying recitation. But there are those who believe that the pledge is not only a negative thing, but one that speaks to the division in America today.

The reason CBS won’t clarify the rejection further is because they cannot verbalize their concern articulately without owning up to an agenda which is anti-conservative. Over the last few decades, pro-Americanism has become an exclusive feature of conservatism. On the left, it’s fashionable to bash America for all its alleged evils. Certainly, conservatives recognize that America, both over the course of its history, and also in modern times, is not perfect. But we also realize that no nation is. The acceptance of both of those facts allows conservatives to recognize what a force for good America is in the world today. We understand that reality is rarely black and white. Basically, conservatives are realists, and liberals have no sense of reality. For all their posturing regarding nuance, and gray areas, the left is very clearly defined. Liberals blame America for the world’s evils. To be patriotic is jingoistic, and culturally insensitive. Given that, the pledge of allegiance is also jingoistic, because it proclaims allegiance to a nation that commits terrible atrocities.

The entertainment industry is very liberal, as anyone who hasn’t lived under a rock knows well, and because of that, all conservative ideals are shut out. What CBS means when it says that it won’t air the commercial because it’s too political is that it won’t air the commercial because it’s too conservative. They won’t air it because it is the same as promoting conservatism–and the left cannot abide that. Not only would lefties complain ceaselessly, but it would make CBS look bad–at least under the twisted light in which they see themselves. CBS cannot be seen as supporting conservatism, because that means they agree with awful things like fiscal responsibility, and an actual southern border.

The pledge of allegiance shouldn’t be considered “too political,” and it shouldn’t be a bad thing to be proud of your country. That doesn’t mean you must agree with everything it does. We are proud of our country because of the good it has done, and will continue to do. We are proud because of our positive influence on the world. We are proud because of our unique status in the world as a nation founded specifically on the idea of personal freedom. The pledge is a reflection of that. It should unify us, not divide us.